Vending machine



May 24,1927. O. N. KELLY VENDING MACHINE Filed Jixlya. 1925.

cigars and the like,

Patented May 24, 1927.

UNITED -STATES ORSON N. KELLY, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

- 'VENDING MACHINE.

Application led July 2,

This invention relates to vendingr machines, and particularly vto that type of vending machine which is adapted to dis objects vsuch as pencils, responsive to the inser tion of a proper coin within the said vending machine.

The invention has for an object the provision of a vending machine of the character stated, which isfool-proof as to operation, simple of construction, and not liable to get out of order.

A further object is the provision of a vending machine which is so formed and deliver only one article pense elongated constructed as to upon vthe insertion of a coin in the vending machine.

A further object is the provision of a vending machine in which the casing has no visible outside locks.

A further object is the provision of a vending machine which doesnot require that any direction appear thereon as to its operation. j Y

Ordinary vending machines for dispensing gum and the like are notoriously at fault in that the said vending machines may be easily robbed by the insertion-of slugs which either loperate the machine or prevent its operation. Also7 most vending machines are so constructed that a coin is lfirst inserted after which a lever is moved to eject the commodity.` The constant working of the lever often discharges more of the com-j inodity thanv originally intended, and the present invention overcomes these diflicultics iii that only one commodity charged responsive'to the insertionv of one proper coin.

In practicing the present invention I have provided a suitableA casing within which is housed the mechanism otthe vending machine proper and the present embodiment of the machine is adapted to ydispense pencils. A roller provided with facial axial grooves is controlled by movement of a knob projecting exterior the casing.r The knob is free to rotate iii either directionwithout strain on any part of. the mechanism and when a coin of proper denomination is in serted within the coin-receiving slot of the casing the knob will lock with the roller and permit the roller to be turned in either direction to eject one of the pencils. After av pencil `has been ejected the roller may no longer turn regardless of the turning of can be dis- Y 1925. Serial No. 41,082.

the knob until a further coin is placed in the coin-receiving slot. Y

The invention has for further objects the Vp rovision of a vending machine which is simple of construction and is generally superior to vending machines now on the market.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the, invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, as disclosed in the drawings, and finally pointed outin claims.

In the drawing: 1

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the vending machine;l

' Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale and taken on the line 2-2 kof Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the `line 3 3 of Figure 1; Y

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale and taken on the lineA-t of Figure 2; and, f

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail, taken on Athe line 5 5V of Figure 1.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are Vdesignated by the saine reference characters.

. Referring with particularity to the drawall ing, the improved vending machine is desigy nated as an entirety and in one embodiment by A, of which a is a coin-receiving chute, b a commodity discharging roller, d means for rendering the roller I) operative upon the insertion of a proper coin within the coin.

chute a, and e means for locking aportion of the vending machine casing f.`

The casing f is conventional in form having side wall wallinember 2, and a frontv wall member 3, which members 1, 2 and 3 are suitably interconnected through the medium of a base member 4 yand a top memberl 5. The front of the casingis provided with a glass panel 6 so that any commodity-within the casing may be readily viewed. It will be noted that the top 5 is flanged as shown at 7 so as to confine lthe upper portions of the front ywall andsidewall members, while the back wall member 2 is ad. ted to bear against the said flange 7 as il ustrated at 8 and be locked through the medium of the means e to the said top The bottom member 4' is provided with a iiange 9A The lowermost end members 1, a detachable backy of said back wall 2 is tapered as shown at 10 to fit against a tapered portion of the flange 9 and when the said back wall 2 is swung against the flange 7, as shown at 8, the means e will lock the back against removal from between the base and the top of the casing. The means c includes a spring-actuated bolt 11 which is passed through aligned openings in a pair of projecting studs 12 and 13 on the inner face of the back wall 2. The normal tendency of said bolt is to be urged outwardly from the stud 13 so that the .same will engage the flange 7, as shown in Figure 2 at 14. lt will be noted that the said bolt is provided with a transverse pin 15 which functions to hold the spring portion of the bolt in position and likewise functions for engagement with a key member shown in dotted lines at 16 in Figure 2. Said bolt is provided with a nose portion so that when the back is closed against the flange 7 the nose will automatically depress the springactuated bolt and then snap back of thesaid flange. The front member 3, is provided with a coin-receiving slot 17, and it is intended that the key 16 should bereceived through said slot and as the key is curved, as shown at 18, the said key may engage the pinl and cam the spring-actuated bolt 11 downwardly when the key ispushed inwardly from the dotted line position of Figure 2 so that. the bolt will be released from the vflange 7. This construction is novel because it is difficult to ascertain just how access to the interior of the casing may be Obtained. Furthermore, looking through the coinreceiving slot would not inform a person as to just how the casing might be opened, as it will be noted that the coin-receiving slot is not in alignment with the pin 15 when the bolt is engaging the flange 7. For this reason it is necessary to use a key having a curved end portion. Spaced from one of the end walls 1 is a partition 19 and adapted to be interposed as between the partition 19 and such end wall 1 is the means l for rendering the roller means Z) operative. The roller means b is mounted upon a shaft 20, one end of such shaft being received in a bearing in the partition 19 and likewise passed through said partition, while the opposite end of said shaft is journaled in a suitable bearing'carried by one of the walls 1. Keyed to the shaft'2() is a pair of discs 21 and 22 constituting a part of themeans CZ. The disc 22 is provided in the present instance with three peripheral .notches 23 which are evenly spaced apart as shown in Figure 2, while the disc 21 is of lesser,` diameter than the disc 22 and is provided with three coin-receiving pockets 24 which are equally spaced apart. The three coin-receiving pockets 24 provide three segmental portions 25, and each of said segmental portions is provided with afacial arcuate Apractically the center of `portion 37 is immediately groove 26, all of which grooves lie in the saine curved path. A disc 27 likewise forming a part of the means d bears against Ythe disc 21 Vand said disc 27 is provided with three spaced studs 2S adapted to be received, when the said disc 27 is rotated, within the grooves 26. The said grooves are relatively deep so that'the said studs 28 normally project within tlie said disc 21 at least half or more than half the thickness of said disc. The side wall 1 shown in Figure tis provided with a bearing part 29, and a knob 30 carried on a short shaft 31 projects through an opening in the bearing 29 and is keyed as shown at 32 to the disc 27. ,Thus rotation ofthe knob 30 will produce rotation of the disc 27. Rotation of the discs 21 and 22 will not occur during this rotation of disc 27, for the reason that a spring-pressed detent 33 carried onv a bracket 3a is adapted to be received in some one of the notches 23 on the disc 22 to `prevent movement.

The ioller b transversely spans the vsides of the casing, that is, it lies between one side wall and the partition 19 and isrcarried, as has been stated, on the 'shaft' 20. This roller is provided with three peripheral land longitudinal grooves 35 which grooves are evenly spaced apart. The grooves aie lso formed that the walls bounding the same are straight sided. Likewise carried-.on the peripheral roller are agitators 36 which consist of narrow segmental portions in which the peripheral surface thereof has'a different curvature from the curvature of the roller, the maximum curvature .being at such segmental portions, the segmental portions then curving downwardly from such maximum point toward the periphery of the roller. A bin above the periphery of the roller which bin portion coniprises a pair of plates extending transversely between one of the sides 1 and the partition 19, and which plates are inclined downwardly. The intention of the said bin portion is to direct a commodity, which, in the present instance are pencils 38on to a portion ofthe peripheryof the roller. An inclined wall member 39 lies transvei'selv within thecasing and immediately below thi/e roller, and immediately below the said ineinber 39 and the said roller is a delivery chute 410 which is adapted to direct a con'imodity from the said casingthrough a delivery opening 41 adjacent the base of said casing.

The coin chute a is placed immediately behind tlie coin-receiving opening 17 and within the casing between the end wall 1 and the partition 19, and in such position as to direct the coin into one of the coin-receiving` pockets of the disc 21. This coin chute 2z is so formed as to direct the cointoan inclined portion 4t2 of such chute( which inclined portion is out away as shown at 43.

iscY

iol

One wall of the said chute is slightly bulged outwardly, as shown at 44 and the cuteaway portion 43 terminates in a wider end, as shown at 45. The coin chute is adapted to direct a proper coin at practically right angles to the inclined portion oi' such chute to the coin-receiving pocket of the disc 21, and such coin-receiving chute terminates with guards 46 and 47 adjacent the periphery of the disc 21.

A pair ot guards 48 and 49 are mounted on opposite sides of the roller Z), the said guards having 'aces conforming in part to the curvature of the said roller. The purpose of these guards will be explained in the operation. i ation of one of the walls of the bin 37.

rilhe operation oit' the device just described is as follows: It we assume vthat a fivecent piece is the proper coin to operate the vending machine, uponinsertion of the live-cent piece it will be received in the coin chute which `will drop the coin into one of the coin-receiving pockets of the disc 21. It will be noted that one of the coin-receiving pockets is in direct alignment centrally of the delivery end of the coin-receiving chute, as illustrated in Figure 2 at 49. Y When the coin is so received within the said pocket upon a turning of the knob in either direction, the coin will be engaged by one of the projections 28 on the disc 27, which will push the said coin and rotate the discs 21 and 22 for the reason that the coin 1s secured within the pocket and is prevented from escaping from said pocket by engaging one or the other of the curved guards 46 or 47. Upon movement of the disc 22 the roller Z9 will be rotated and the detent 33 will cam itself out of one of the notches 23. The bin 37 has directed one of the pencils 38 within one of the commodity grooves 35, see Fig, 3, and the roller'as it is turned will bring the pencil against the guard 48 which will prevent the said pencil from escaping` from the groove 35. The agitators 36 immediately follow and act to cam the pencils already on the bin upwardly so that an-` other pencil will fall into a :following groove onthe roller. Then the roller has turned a distance so that the coin might drop from the coin pocket which would be a position as illustrated in Figure 2 at 50, the guards 46 and 47 terminating adjacent such position so that the coin may be so ejected from the pocket, the following notch 23 will be reached and the spring-pressed d etent 33 willk Jr'alltherein and lock the disc 22 against further rotation. The pencil :will drop onto the delivery chute and out through the opening 41.l The result will be that the knob 30 will be free to rotate'in either directionv and the present arrangement will not permit more than one pencil to be delivered at a time. If a smaller coin than The guard 49 forms a continu-y cut-away portion 43 thereof. It a coin of the approximate size of the selected'coin should be inserted the coin would then fall :trom said coin chute through the cut-away portion shown at 45.

It a very thin coin or slug were inserted in the slot the same would pass through the slot 51, this slot having a width slightly under the width of a proper coin.

When it is desired to re-till the bin the back 2 of the casing may be readily removed by the insertion of a key through the coin slot 17 as shown in Figure 2 to depress the bolt 11.

The bin 37 is provided with cutaway portions 52 as 'shown in Figure 5 so thatportions of the agitators may project therethrough, and agitate any 'commodity such as pencils on ,ther bin and within the casing. The feature of having a device which will permit rapid Vrotation in either direction of the operating knob 30 wiithout in any manner injuring the apparatus, is novel, because the average person will attempt to operate a machine without payment or will tinker with the machine, which often puts the same out of order. f

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in practicing the invention, in departure from the particular showing of the drawing, without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a machine embodying a casing containing coin receiving mechanism, an entrance member to said casing, a narrow coin slot in the casing, a'lock i'or said entrance member within the casing, a coin chute in alignment with` the slot and lock, a key insertable through the aligned slot and chute to actuate said lock, said slot and chute constituting guides yfor the key in its presentation to the lock. Y

2, A vending machine embodying adisplay compartment adapted to contain articles to be vended, a closed compartment for coin control mechanism, an entrance member for obtaining. access to both of said compartments, a narrow coin slot and chute in said closed compartment, a lock tor said entrance member hidden 'from view in said closed compartment, said coin slot, chute and lock being in alignment, and a key tor said lock inserta-ble through said slot and chute and guided thereby in its presentation to said lock.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ORSON N. KELLY. 

